Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Bake

Chilly, crisp Arizona mornings called for a little extra attention to breakfast this week! I wanted something warm with comforting spices but wasn’t my typical morning oatmeal. I decided to take quinoa, something which I usually make into a savory dish, and put a little breakfast twist on it. I had seen many ideas for breakfast quinoa online that sparked my interest, so this was the final product!

If you aren’t a fan of the quinoa texture, add a little extra liquid to this dish and allow it to cook for 10-15 minutes longer. I have to say, eating sweet quinoa was different, but I think that I actually liked it better than many of the other ways that I have cooked it in savory dishes.

This dish can be modified in many ways from the milk I use to the toppings that added a little extra crunch and interest to my breakfast. Play around with it and see what you like best! Apples was my fruit of choice, but berries such as blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries would be wonderful! To sweeten this dish I used brown sugar, but maple syrup, honey, or agave could also be great choices that add a different taste or level of sweetness.

Please let me know if you fine any other combinations that you enjoy! Happy baking and enjoy this sweet, warm, tasteful breakfast treat!

Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Bake:

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of your choice)

1/2 cup water

2 egg whites

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup chopped almonds

2 small apples or 1 large apple sliced into fairly thin slices

1 tsp chia seeds

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together your quinoa, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spray your baking dish (I believe I used an 8×12) with a little cooking spray and spread the quinoa mixture evenly into the dish. lay your thinly sliced apples over top of the quinoa. You can put as many or as few as you liked; I made sure the entire top of the quinoa was covered.

Chop your nuts, making them as large or as fine as you prefer, and sprinkle on top of the apple. In a separate bowl, mix the milk and eggs together, making sure to break apart the egg white a bit. Pour the liquid mixture over top of the quinoa, apple, and nuts. Take a fork and lightly break apart some of the quinoa, allowing some of the liquid to mix in. Make sure that you can see the liquid going through the quinoa onto the bottom and sides of the pan.

Allow your quinoa to make for about 45-50 minutes, taking it out after about 20 minutes to agitate it a bit and make sure the liquid is still reaching all parts of the dish and the egg is cooking evenly and not clumping. If you find that the egg is clumping a bit, you may just want to stir the entire dish.

Once your breakfast bake has finished cooking, remove it from the heat and top with chia seeds and a little extra cinnamon. Allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes before serving warm.